Eleven businesses awarded 2016 Mayor’s Business Recognition Awards
(Posted on Greater Baltimore Council website, December 5, 2016 by Elizabeth Lowe)
Eleven Baltimore businesses were recognized for engaging in specific activities or projects that have significantly benefited the Baltimore community and are outside of the business’s regular mission or day-to-day activities at the 42nd Annual Mayor’s Business Recognition Awards.
“Businesses are traditionally measured by a range of business metrics: profitability of the company, growth rate of the company, number of employees, or the company’s economic impact on the state, region or city,” said Donald C. Fry, President and CEO of the Greater Baltimore Committee. “Today’s program rewards companies by a different metric.
“The Mayor’s Business Award highlights companies and organizations whose leaders are not focused strictly on the “bottom line” but those that acknowledge that contributing to the community and providing service outside their business’s core mission is vital to the success, health and morale of the city and to the people who live in Baltimore,” Fry said. “The Mayor’s Business Recognition Award honors those seated on the stage today for their civic leadership and for recognizing that it is equally important for business to leverage its financial and human resources to positively impact the challenges facing many of the citizens of Baltimore City.”
During luncheon ceremonies at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront on December 5, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie-Rawlings Blake commended businesses for their support of the city. It was also her final full day as the Mayor of the City of Baltimore.
“As I stand before you today, as the mayor for the last time, my message is simple: Find a way to serve. Find a way to give back like the companies that will be honored here today,” the mayor said.
The annual awards event, which is presented by the GBC, the Baltimore Development Corporation and the Mayor’s Office, honors businesses for their outstanding corporate leadership, commitment to community and dedication to improving the quality of life in Baltimore City.
The 2016 Mayor’s Business Recognition Awards winners pictured with Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and GBC President and CEO Donald C. Fry.
The 2016 Mayor’s Business Recognition Award winners are:
Ayers Saint Gross, for working to create a robust, community-centered process for the East Baltimore Revitalization Plan. More than 100 residents and 15 Ayers Saint Gross volunteers came together over several months to create new knowledge and ideas about the Broadway East and South Clifton Park neighborhoods. As a result, residents are now equipped with planning vocabulary and ideas that they can use to continue discussions and provide meaningful, thoughtful insight to their vision for the future of their community.
Baltimore Orioles, for hosting the Casey Cares Foundation’s 5K Run/Walk at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, an annual event which draws approximately 2,000 people. In addition, the Orioles also provide 800 tickets each baseball season which allows the foundation’s families to see the team play in person. Some of the families are afforded the opportunity to experience batting practice, on-field access, tickets to FanFest and memorabilia.
BB&T, for organizing a team to participate in the United Way of Central Maryland’s 5th Annual Project Homeless Connect in September. The team included more than 90 bankers from the retail and commercial banking groups, operations associates, investment counselors, credit partners, market presidents and Regional President Chris Holt. While the majority of the associates work and/or live in the Baltimore region, BB&T associates from across the state participated.
Feats, Inc and the Fund for Educational Excellence, for Feats’ Chairman Paul Wolman realizing the important role school leaders have in creating strong school cultures and retaining great teachers. Wolman explored how the community could supplement Baltimore City Public Schools’ district’s efforts to attract and keep outstanding principals. Working with the Fund for Educational Excellence, Baltimore City Public Schools and business, foundation and community partners, Feats produced the first annual Heart of the School Awards to celebrate Baltimore City Public Schools principals who demonstrated exemplary innovation, execution and leadership, focused specifically on strong school cultures.
Radisson Hotel Baltimore Downtown – Inner Harbor, for its employees volunteering monthly to help organize and execute the hotel-wide commitment to serve the homeless a hot meal – more than 3,300 meals were served in 2016 along with survivor kits. The kits contain nonperishable snacks, sanitary and hygiene toolkits and a personal message of hope created by hotel employee volunteers and their families.
Roland Park Place, for its Community Involvement Committee Initiative, which coordinates charitable programs to help address the needs of Baltimore’s special populations, including the elderly, poor and at-risk children. The committee, comprised of Roland Park Place staff, residents and board members, has developed partnerships with and provided outreach to The Salvation Army, Manna House, the Johns Hopkins University’s Office of Sustainability, Roland Park Baseball Leagues, St. Mary’s Outreach Center, Strong City Baltimore, Maryland SPCA, Roland Park Elementary/Middle School and the Alzheimer’s Association.
University of Maryland, Baltimore, for its Project SEARCH High School Transition program, which affords Baltimore City high school seniors with significant disabilities the opportunity to participate in internships on the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus. The year-long program gives them the opportunity to explore careers that traditionally they have not been able to access and the ability to obtain real life work skills to help them pursue these careers. The university provides classroom space, offices and support for the program, and dozens of departments, including Human Resources, Facilities Management and the School of Medicine, participate as internship sites.
WBAL NewsRadio 1090 and WIYY 98 Rock, for the WBAL Kids Campaign, which collects monetary donations from individuals and corporations to help sustain the Kids Campaign for the following year. The annual event has allowed the organization to give back to children in the Baltimore community since 1983. The campaign has donated more than $280,000 to local youth organizations and distributed $55,000 in gift cards to families in need.
Wright, Constable & Skeen, LLP, for its Rosie the Lawyer program, whose name is based on the 1940s icon “Rosie the Welder.” The program, now in its fourth year, allows Baltimore City Public Schools female sophomores the opportunity to learn from a group of women in the legal profession. The young women are provided information and motivation about the industry.
Write Notepads & Co., for donating journal notebooks to Baltimore City Public Schools for every journal notebook it sells. Write Notepads & Co. believes in helping a new generation of students fill their notepads with their hopes, dreams and plans to achieve them. To date, the Baltimore company has reached more than 5,000 youths who use the notebooks for journaling, drawing, lyric-writing and school work.
